


Go the distance

by Queentacosaurus101



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: #Holtreunionplease2018, Ancient prophecy (kinda), Dear Dreamworks please return the Holts safely to Mrs Holt okay?, F/M, Fairy Godfather Coran, Fairy Tale AU (kinda), Fairy Tale Elements, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Give Hunk more love, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, I'll add more tags as plot progresses, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Knight Keith (Voltron), Knight Shiro, M/M, Page Hunk, Prophetic Dreams (maybe?), Ships will be slow burn, Squire Lance, The lions are dragons, These tags are in a random order but i don't care XD, Zarkon is called "king" because I forgot he was an emperor while writing this, broganes, klance, questing is fun, sorry not sorry XD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-02-14 11:37:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13006974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queentacosaurus101/pseuds/Queentacosaurus101
Summary: Lance is a trainee knight (a squire but he doesn't like that title) who comes from a simple farming family with a drive to prove himself as something more. In order to do this, he embarks on a quest to awaken a sleeping princess. Along the way, he meets Hunk, Pidge, Shiro and Keith. Together, they form a travelling group whose destinies might be  more intertwined than they thought.Hunk is a page who's personal mission is to aid Lance in his quest. It should be relatively easy, right? Given what he's seen so far, Hunk suddenly regrets his life choices.Pidge is searching for her lost brother Matthew. When she discovers a link between her personal quest with Lance's own, Pidge joins Lance's quest in the hopes of finally reuniting her family.Shiro and Keith are two brothers who are both fully trained knights, travelling the land to help those in need. When they hear the legend of The Sleeping Princess, the pair set off to awaken her. One run in with Lance and they're suddenly in his band of merry men (and woman). The task at hand should be easy enough. That is if Shiro can get Lance and Keith to quit squabbling for more than five seconds.After all, how hard is it to awaken a princess?





	1. Once upon a time

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Go the distance! This AU hit me randomly one day and has been nagging at me so here it is! Just to prewarn you, there will be Klance in this story but I'll try not to let it obscure the narrative. ^.^ 
> 
> Also, if there are any spelling/grammar/punctuation errors then please let me know. 
> 
> Without further ado, I present Go the distance!

_Before you begin, I would like to inform you that what you're about to read contains fantasy elements. There's magic and witches and dragons and knights. This story features a princess in a deep sleep. This story also features a merry band of heroes on a quest. This story contains spells and magical creatures. This story also contains a twisted sorceress and her king Zarkon, who rules over the kingdom of Altea with an iron fist. Please do not proceed if whimsical fantasy is not what you seek._

_Those of you who do, I'm sure you're curious as to how this tale unfolds. You're anxious to know the journey of the heroes went. What events transpired, what they saw, who they met. You wish to know of the foes they vanquished and the allies they gained. Don't you?_  
  
_Very well.  Once upon a time…_

* * *

                                             **\-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----**

* * *

The kingdom of Altea was under attack from the vicious forces of the Galra kingdom. Citizens fled as fast as they could, screaming in terror as the troops stormed in. King Alfor looked on from his grand castle in pure horror. His daughter, the fair Princess Allura, grasped his arm. "Father, we must send the paladins after Zarkon's forces!" She pleaded, eyes glistening with tears.   
  
"No, Allura. We have to send them away." Alfor argued back, already hurrying to the courtroom to alert his fellow paladins. Allura called after him, trying to catch up.   
  
"Father! There has to be something we can do!"   
  
Her father ignored her pleas and summoned his loyal advisor who was also Allura's fairy godfather. "Coran!"   
  
Coran appeared in a spilt second, panicked. "Your highness, they're closing in on us! Zarkon's seizing the castle! What should we do?"   
  
A grave expression over took the king's face. He locked eyes with Coran and simply said "You know what must be done and so do I." Coran looked solemn but he nodded in understanding. Allura was confused as she ran over to her father.   
  
"What's happening?!" She demanded fearfully. Alfor's face softened as he embraced her as if it were the last time he would see her.  
  
"I'm sorry, Allura. Goodbye." He whispered, voice hoarse like he was choking back tears.   
  
"Father?!" Allura shrieked as the king walked away and Coran held her back from following. He lead her away to a passageway she wasn't aware had opened. In the panic of what was happening, Coran guided her down the steps and to the stables of the paladins. There were usually a pack of five mighty dragons but it seemed only the black dragon was left. It was trashing its head, disturbed by the commotion. Coran hushed it as best as he could. Once it had settled, he turned to Allura and whispered "Princess, hurry. Get on."   
  
"Coran, I don't understand. What's going on?! Where's my father?" She cried back, shaking. Coran looked pained.   
  
"Please Allura. Get on and hold on tight. We don't have much time." He urged, fearful. Allura did as she was told, clambering upon the dragon's back. Coran scrambled up next and took the reins. The dragon took off in to the skies, flying as quickly as it could.The sound of screams below surrounded the pair and the dragon, coating the air with fear.

Angry cries broke out all at once. One voice rang out above the rest. "Pursue the dragon!"  
  
_Zarkon._  
  
Arrows soared past them, narrowly missing the dragon. Zarkon called out again. "You fools! Leave the dragon unharmed. Shoot the princess and her fairy down!"   
  
Allura clung to the dragon, weeping. Coran ushered the dragon forward as more arrows flew to the skies. One skimmed past Coran, making him cry out in pain. "Coran!" Allura shrieked. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the reins.   
  
"I'm fine. We must get this dragon somewhere safe. We have to make sure Zarkon can't get to it." Coran said, determined to complete his task.   
  
On the ground, Galra soldiers rushed after the dragon in the sky in vain. It was escaping with Princess Allura and Coran, much to Zarkon's fury. He barked orders before realising he was losing sight of the dragon. He snarled in anger before deciding to go after King Alfor. The dragon could wait.  
  
As the dragon soared onwards, Coran spotted one of Alfor's lesser known castles, almost hidden by thick foliage. He guided the dragon down until they landed. Petting the dragon, Coran ran a plan through his head. He looked at Allura before easing her off the dragon's back. The dragon seemed anxious and beat its wings in worry. Coran soothed it once more before ushering the dragon around the back.There was a set of large doors in the ground, most likely a large cellar. Coran forced them open and led the dragon in. It settled down and bid its head in greeting to Coran. It was almost like the beast was aware of what was happening. Coran began to mutter a spell. The dragon's scales quickly turned to stone as it calmly bowed its head and shut its eyes. Within seconds, the dragon was a statue, frozen. Satisfied, Coran quickly walked back to Allura who stood outside, cautious.  
  
When Coran returned, he whisked her inside and deep in to the lower levels of the castle. Coran finally stopped at a room where there was nothing but glass caskets. He hesitated for  a moment, thinking over his plan. The spell required was risky and was never really perfected in the way fairy folk had anticipated but, for Allura's sake, it had to be worth a try.  
  
"Coran-" Allura began to question but she was interrupted by Coran.  
  
"I'm sorry, Princess." With those words, he cast a sleeping spell on Allura. She yawned loudly before slumping against him.  Gently, Coran lifted her in to a casket and closed the lid. He then proceeded to climb in to another, shut it tightly and place the same spell upon himself. As he drifted out of consciousness, Coran wished that Altea would survive the siege and prayed the future would become brighter by the time he reawoke. _If_   he reawoke.  
  
Back at Alfor's castle, Zarkon had broken in and was wrecking havoc in his hunt for the king. "Alfor!" He roared with the rage of a furious lion. The king quietly ascended from the stairs, having a regal air about him despite his inevitable end.   
  
"Hello Zarkon." He greeted, much like you would an old friend. Zarkon didn't offer the same greeting. Instead, he unsheathed a blade from his belt and raised it threateningly in Alfor's direction.   
  
"Tell me where you've sent the dragons at once!" He snarled, eyes narrowed in animosity. Alfor gave him a calm, unmoving gaze.   
  
"I'm afraid I don't understand. What is it you are asking of me?" Alfor asked, staring blankly at his opponent. Zarkon leaned in closer with his blade, bringing it closer to the king's abdomen.   
  
"Where are the dragons?!" He shouted, seething.  
  
Alfor simply gave a lazy smile. "Wouldn't you rather sit down and have some tea with me? Then we can sort this whole affair out properly."   
  
Zarkon gave an impatient groan before he hissed at Alfor "This is your final chance to tell me what I want to hear before I rid myself of you and end your reign."   
  
Alfor stood boldly with magnificent grace and acceptance. "As you wish." He murmured. For a moment, Zarkon  believed he would be told where the dragons he desperately sought after were but he was greeted by a somewhat smug silence.   
  
"Very well."   
  
The blade gave a mighty slash and with that Alfor and his kingdom fell. Altea as it was once known was no more and Zarkon's reign began. The dragons had become lost to the ages with their memory fading overtime. Zarkon focused his energy on building his new kingdom though his quest for the dragons never truly stopped. The sole piece of Alfor's legacy that lived on was a old poem that was once perceived as a spell or perhaps a prophecy of some sort. This idea was quickly discarded by Haggar, Zarkon's advisor and head druid. Somehow, it was passed through the villages and towns, installing a small blossom of hope in the people that one day they would be freed from Zarkon.   
  
One day, the rightful heir to the throne would return and set everything right. 

* * *

**\-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----**

* * *

  
  _To protect the princess from harm,_  
_I call upon this charm._  
_To awaken us from slumber,_  
_We require five in number._  
  
_One who is playful but kind._  
_One who is fearful yet wholehearted._  
_One who is young but strong in mind._  
_One who may be rash while lionhearted_  
_And finally one who will lead them all,_  
_With the will set things right._  
  
_To awaken the beasts that once stood tall,_  
_We call upon their might._  
_These are the traits required._  
_These are the traits admired._  
_These are the traits the beasts share_  
_With whoever they trust to enter their lair._  
  
_The day the dragons are earned_  
_Shall be the day the princess is returned._


	2. Chapter 2: Beauty sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we meet Lance and his family. Not much else to say!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Apologies for the slow updates but school work keeps me busy! 
> 
> Feel free to point out any spelling/grammar/punctuation errors! 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the second chapter of Go the distance!
> 
> EDIT 31/05/18: Since Lance's family have been revealed, I've changed the description of Lance's family. The names are all the same for the most part!

The rooster crooned to the rising sun, screeching as loudly as possible. Kaltenecker the cow mooed and the chicks chirped cheerfully. The farm seemed to spring to life with the animals and the people waking up to greet a new day. Except for Lance that is. The boy in question was snuggled warmly in to his blankets, cowering from the blinding rays of the sun that crept through his curtains. He stayed sleeping, snoring softly. Then, his mother bustled in to his room with a huge storm of energy that disturbed his peaceful slumber. " _Hijo!_ Wake up, we have work to do today. Lance, rise and shine!" She yelled, shaking the boy roughly to awaken him. Blearily, Lance cracked his eyes open and groaned.  
  
" _Mama_ , it's too early. Let me sleep." Lance began to whine, rolling himself deeper in to the comfort of his blanket. His mother gave him a stormy glare as she chastised him, reminding her son of the chores he had to do. He gave another groan as he reluctantly rose from his bed. The ice cold chill of the morning air grasped at Lance as he emerged cautiously from his bed and in to the world around him. He shivered but didn't comment as not to invoke his mother's growing wrath.

Shuffling to his wardrobe, Lance grabbed suitable working attire (blue since it was his favourite colour) before going to change. He mooched to the bathroom and banged on the door. "Taken!" A tiny voice shouted.  
  
"Mari, can you hurry up please? I have a big list of chores today." Lance pleaded through the door. Mari giggled.  
  
"M'kay!" Mari responded happily in the way most six year olds do. She made no effort to hurry, humming innocently. Lance sighed again, now miffed, as he tapped his foot impatiently. He readjusted the clothes in his arms and called "Mari."  
  
"Mhmm?" Came the muffled response. The bathroom door was dragged open to reveal a petite girl with black hair in two messy pigtails. She looked up at Lance with baby blue eyes that appeared to twinkle with mischief. At first, Lance glared down at the girl but it softened as she declared "I'm done now!" Discarding his clothes, he bent down to wipe the toothpaste she had smeared around her mouth.  
  
"You sure do make a mess of things, huh?" He chuckled while Mari nodded enthusiastically. "Want me to fix your hair?"  
  
"Nah, I like it." She giggled. Lance gave a small laugh.  
  
"Well, you'd better hurry downstairs. Grandma's making breakfast." At his words, Mari shrieked and proceeded to stampede  down the stairs, wanting to eat her- and probably Lance's- pancakes. Lance shook  his head in amusement as he re-gathered his working clothes.  
  
It was one of those days.

* * *

  
                                                      -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----  
 

* * *

Lance was the second oldest of four. He was seventeen which meant he was supposed to be figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. Luckily, Lance had that sorted out years ago. For as long as he could remember, Lance had wanted to be a knight, going on adventures and rescuing those in danger. He was slowly getting there, rising up in the ranks from page to squire. However, Lance firmly believed he should've been knight levels but his training school was oddly specific about what made you fully classified. For example, a knight title had to be earned through learning social etiquette and years of training.

Lance was certain he had done enough training to warrant the knight status but Iverson, his snobbish and callous instructor, would constantly disregard him. "You're not fit enough. You can barely work with a sword and here you are expecting to be a knight! The last knight I trained had behavioural issues but at least he could handle a blade. "  
He would sneer at Lance. Despite it all, he kept pushing himself.  
  
Lance detested Iverson but he swallowed his pride and continued his training. With every harsh word Iverson would utter, his family would encourage him with their support. Lance's morale was boosted with every kind word, pushing him to succeed. So long as he had his family, Lance was determined. 

* * *

                                                     -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

Lance, fully dressed and slightly more awake, walked in to his kitchen where his family were huddled around a table filled by plates of pancakes and cups of juice. At the head of the table was his Grandpa Paz and Abuelita Zelia. Next to them was Mama Rosalyn and Papa Tàcito. Then there was his oldest brother Marco, dressed ready for his medical work, and his wife Clarita. Their son, Neo on her other side.Aside to him, the younger siblings, Mariposa and Julio, were noisily seeing who could consume their breakfast the fastest while their mother discouraged them. "You'll make yourselves sick doing that." She warned, giving them stern looks of disappointment. The pair slowed down but continued to chew loudly.  
  
Lance slid in to a seat next to his brother Luis who smirked. "Well, well, well. Looks like someone woke the sleeping beauty." He joked.  
  
Lance gave his younger brother a playful punch in the shoulder. "You're just jealous that you'd need a million years of beauty sleep to look almost as good as I do." Lance shot back, grinning as Luis scoffed.  
  
"Please, I'm great the way I am."  
  
"Keep telling yourself that." Veronica chimed. Luis looked offended before all three of them burst out laughing. Lance's father chuckled from beside Rosa, their mother.  
  
"Good morning Lance. We considered giving your pancakes to Mari if you took any longer to bathe." Tàcito joked, smiling from behind his cup. Lance ran a quick hand through his immaculately groomed hair.  
  
"What can I say? It takes a while to make beauty in to perfection. Not that I need much work."  
  
"Stop flattering yourself!" Veronica groaned and Lance laughed again, digging in to his pancakes. He gave a pleased sigh as he tasted the sweet, fluffiness of his breakfast.

Swallowing, Lance turned to Marco and Clarita.  "You two will defend me, right?" He pouted at them expectantly.  
  
"Hmm, what do you say, Clarita? Should we?" The couple looked at each other, pretending to consider sticking up for Lance.

"I say we let him defend himself." Clarita gave Lance a wry smile and he gasped in mock shock.  
  
"Betrayed by my own family..." He sniffed. "These pancakes are the only things that understand me."  
  
"Oh, stop being melodramatic and eat your pancakes, Lance." Clarita teased. Lance chortled before munching on his food again.  
   
 Marco got up from beside Clarita and announced "I'm off to work now but I'll be back later! Bye for now." He waved as he grabbed his things and left the house, farewells calling after him. Mari then tried eating her food quicker than previously much to her mother's irritation. This time Rosa stepped in to discipline her granddaughter.  
  
"Mariposa! For the last time, don't eat your pancakes like that. _¡Buen dios!_ Any one would believe you were eating your last meal." Rosa reprimanded. Lance sniggered quietly before shutting up so his mother didn't turn on him. Grandpa Paz gave a snicker as Rosa rolled her eyes and Abuelita Zelia giggled softly at the family antics.  A regular family meal in Lance's eyes.  
  
When breakfast had been eaten and the table was clear, everyone got to work on their chores. Upon this morning, Lance had to milk their prized cow Kaltenecker, feed the chickens, feed the pigs, muck out the stables and harvest the fields with his siblings. After that, he'd be free to train by himself.

* * *

                                              -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

Lance gave a long, deep sigh as he left the house for their Kaltenecker's field, metal milk pail in hand. "Hey girl, how have you been? Bet you've been enjoying the grass here, huh?" He greeted the cow fondly, stroking her head affectionately. She mooed in response, leaning in to the strokes. Lance made fast work of milking her, filling the pail in no time at all. Out of all the family members, Lance had the best relationship with Kaltenecker for reasons unknown. He was her favourite by far, never causing a fuss whenever he milked her or gave her a check up. Not that she fussed often, mind you.  
  
The chickens seemed to be excited to see Lance as well (or perhaps the large bucket of corn he held) as they darted out of their coop and crowded around his legs. Lance laughed as he threw corn on the ground and the chickens gobble it all. The pigs in the sty opposite squealed in delight when Lance entered with their delicious (repulsive in Lance's opinion) food which sloshed in to the trough. The pigs shared their thanks by eating as sloppily as they could. Lance didn't expect any less.  
  
Originally, Lance had been dreading the stables the entire morning but the second he saw the stables were relatively clean, he thanked whatever deity had taken pity on him and quickly got to work. Harvesting the fields was a lot faster with the whole household tackling the task. The older family members collected the crops while Mari ran baskets full of produce to her brothers who triple checked it all was fresh. Soon enough, they were done and free to do what they wanted.

* * *

                                                  -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

The green fields were lush beneath Lance's feet as he ran at the tattered training dummy. He shot arrows so rapidly that his fingers barely skimmed them. Each arrow hit a wooden dummy with a satisfying _thunk_. Mariposa cheered in delight. She clapped ecstatically from where she was sat. "You were great Lance!"  
  
"Thanks." Lance panted out before going to collect his arrows. Mari eagerly followed behind, singing her uncle's praises which made him chuckle. Training was much more bearable with her there.  
  
Training wasn't exactly what Lance wanted to do with his spare time but he was required to in order to remain in Iverson's good graces. Lance was more than willing to but he had to admit that he would much rather be relaxing with his siblings than battering wooden training dummies until his entire body ached and became stiff. An intense game of hide and seek was far more appealing when compared to the struggles of training.

Lance decided he was done with training for the day. He gathered up his things, while listening to Mari babble about her enthusiasm towards training. Perhaps, when she was old enough, Lance could offer her training.  Given how excited she was watching it, Lance could only imagine how thrilled she'd be to handle a weapon of her own. The pair of them walked home, discussing the highlights of Lance's 'battle' with the training dummies.

* * *

                                                    -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

 

The last few hours of the day sped by so quickly that, before he knew it, Lance was heading to bed.  He was beyond exhausted and he fell asleep promptly once his head hit the pillow. However, that night, he experienced an extraordinary dream. To start with, Lance was heading down a long staircase that seemed to stretch forever, spiralling and spiralling. He reached the bottom after what felt like an eternity before he walked forward and became submerged in complete darkness. Lance tried to feel his way around his pitch-black surroundings to no avail, bumping in to a smooth stone wall far too often. The wall itself felt mossy, slightly damp and jagged in certain places, as if there were either intricate markings or deep cracks but without light Lance couldn't tell.

Further along, Lance collided with what felt like a statue. He placed his right hand to feel it properly. Instantly, there was a sudden chill gripping Lance, prickling his skin with goosebumps. An electrifying feeling blossomed within his chest and spread across his entire body. His heart was pounding so deafeningly that Lance was certain its beat was roaring in his ears and echoing around him. Under his right palm, Lance could almost feel the sleek surface transforming in to scales. Swirls of a bright light burst from around his hand and spread across the entire statue, finally enabling Lance to see an enormous stone dragon. Where he had felt scales was the most dark and exquisite blues he had ever seen and it had begun to spurt everywhere possible on the dragon.

Once it was entirely dark blue, the trails of light faded away and the room was plunged in to darkness again. In the gloom, Lance swore he could hear something moving, as if talons were scraping against the floor or wings were flapping sluggishly. An eye burst open, glowing brilliantly. Lance had to shield himself for a moment and blink several times to adjust to its light. When he looked again, there were two eyes observing him like a hawk would with its prey. It unnerved Lance. What did the dragon want?

The longer he gawked in astonishment, the more Lance could see within the eyes. They were yellow in colour with a devilish slit focused entirely upon him. In fact, Lance swore he could feel the emotions in those eyes. Curiosity. Playfulness. Pride. They crashed down upon him like a mighty wave and filled his brain with jumbled messages he could not understand. The intense stare shook Lance to the core and it propelled him awake with a start.

He bolted upright in his bed, breathing heavily. It wasn't that Lance was terrified of this dream. After all, it hardly felt like a nightmare. The most that happened was that he woke a sleeping stone dragon (which was bizarre to dream about, even for Lance). It was the fact that the dream had felt to vivid to Lance, as if he was really touching the coarse scales of a dragon and being stared down by said dragon. He tried to reimagine every detail in his mind but came surprisingly short. The only thing he could remember clearly was the burning gaze of the eyes in the dark.

Lance lay back down and squeezed his eyes shut. It didn't do well to dwell on dreams like that so Lance figured he should forget about it. He was out again and was undisturbed by any dream dragons for the rest of the night.

* * *

                                                      -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Next time: Lance decides to find his own quest after losing his patience.


	3. How to plan a quest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we meet Hunk and Lance decides that he is going on his quest one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOI SEASON 5 IS ALMOST HERE  
> I'm excitedly updating my fics so that I have something up in time! Here's chapter three!

The Garrison school for Elite Knights (or those in training) loomed boldly. Its pristine walls seemed to stretch beyond the sky and remind its students that it was in control at all times. A long stream of students flooded the school, jostling and joking with one another. Among those was Hunk. Hunk was a page (though he was due to become a squire in a few months) who was to aid fellow trainees in their quest at the permission of Iverson. For most, the thought of going on a quest and training was ideal but to Hunk it was a fearful ordeal.

Originally, Hunk had set upon going in to some blacksmith work like the rest of his family but then the Garrison had personally approached his family, asking if he could train to be a knight. It was no secret that the kingdom depended on its imposing knights to help keep it in order so an offer to become one was a massive honour. One that Hunk was flattered by proposal given how his family was mainly viewed as lowly blacksmiths. After considering their offer, he accepted, suddenly filled with an urge to prove himself as capable. Hunk had supposed training would be tolerable and he could still apply his handiwork skills in some way. Now, a year later, he was sincerely wishing he was chosen for a quest so his training could end or Iverson would see how unfit he was to be a knight and remove him. Alas, there was no such word of a student ever being removed from a course. Well, a reliable word anyway. There were rumours but Hunk definitely avoided those. There were more important things to concern with such as the quest announcements.

At the beginning of every month, Iverson would call prattle off a list of all the students who had been selected to partake in a quest. Hunk would stand with among the pages and squires, watching the array of reactions. Being a mixture of so many pupils, there would be faces of dread, praying for more training, and grins of elated squires, cheering. Hunk wasn't sure which category he fell in to. He did never did find out.

* * *

 

                                                                           -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

 

 The monthly announcement began again as they always did, with the students chatting to themselves, debating who would get chosen. "Hunk, I'm certain that this is going to be my day. I can feel it!" Lance had said, confidently smirking. At the time, Hunk did not know Lance very well. They were friends and roommates but that was it. They tended not to talk to each other much outside of their dorm or lessons as there was never much time for chatting. Besides, they went home on Fridays and returned on Mondays, on a strict timetable.

"Sure, Buddy." Hunk replied, offering a small smile. He wanted to believe Lance, truly, but the poor kid said the same thing every announcement. It was enough to make Hunk wonder if Lance was trying to convince himself. That concerned Hunk, despite not knowing Lance fully. then again, Hunk cared for pretty much every student at the Garrison. Lance huffed and was about to argue back when a hush fell over them all. Iverson had marched his way upon the stage, rigid, before staring intensively at the recruits. He began his long-winded speech about honour and duty - Hunk could practically recite it word for word at this point- whilst surveying each of them with a level of disgust.

"Some of you standing here are about to partake in the greatest journey of your life. Those of you who are pages will instantly become squires before being given your own quest in a few months. Those of you who are squires will be leading the quest, finally earning an important rank in our ever-growing kingdom. Truly, you are being offered the privilege to serve your kingdom in all its glory. If, you're successful." There was an quiver amongst the audience as Iverson gave a tremendously wicked sneer, chilling even the most steel of students. He then glared icily, signalling forward the unopened list. Each of the students, held their breaths avidly. Some even prayed to whatever deity oversaw them that they would (or in some cases would not) be selected. Iverson paused to stare again, creating a stifling air of tension.

The names were read out and breaths were released, either in sighs of relief, curses of disappointment or excited chatter. Hunk exhaled and turned to say something to Lance only to be deterred when the latter looked like a deflating balloon. All the previous confidence and bravado was flowing out and being replaced by a bitter disappointment. It seemed Lance was far more hopeful than Hunk had been. "Hey Lance?"

Lance snapped upright, face practically shinning with a bright smile. "Yeah, Hunk?" Hunk blinked, wondering if he had imagined Lance's sadness.

"I was just going to ask if you're were alright with not being chosen?" He left out the word 'again' as he was be aware of the other's feelings.

"Eh, there's always next time. I've just got to train harder." Lance gave a small, nonchalant shrug, rolling off any sign he had been disappointed. With that, the pair headed off to lessons, not saying another word.

* * *

 

                                                                              -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

 

Lance was severely disappointed. He had been so convinced that this was his announcement. Not only was his the top of his class but Lance was certain he was the top of his rank, outdoing his former rival who had graduated a while back. Of course, it was evident Iverson had his favourites. It was also evident that Lance was not amongst those favourites. He trained and trained with all his might but was brushed aside, like a speck of dust or an annoyingly persistent fly, in favour of those who grovelled in Iverson's presence when they were barely capable for a quest. That aggravated him to no end and it was the final straw. Lance was going on his quest even if Iverson had never approved he could.

Sneaking around the academy during a break period was not one of Lance's greatest ideas but, in his own defence, he was desperate. The school had various descriptions of quests hidden away in Iverson's office. All Lance had to do was get his hands on one and, hey presto! Lance would merrily be on his quest. That would not be a problem if not for Nyma, one of the squires chosen earlier, standing outside of the office. Lance muttered darkly to himself, adding one or two curses. Nyma looked up and smirked.

"Lance, I don't recall you getting called out this morning." She teased, crossing her arms over her chest. Lance gave a smile in response.

"Would you believe me if I said I was lost?" He asked, feigning an innocent look. She rolled her eyes.

"No." was the flat reply. Lance cursed again and turned to leave when Nyma called his name. "Wait, Lance! Listen, if you're going to go off and do your own quest then I'm not going to stop you. If a teacher comes by, I'll knock twice and say that I'm waiting for Iverson. Then, you have to leave."

"What if it's Iverson?"

"I'll come up something. If you don't hurry though, you're own your own."

"Why are you helping me?" Lance asked, eyeing Nyma suspiciously. She sighed and smiled softly.

"I like you, Lance. It's also no secret that you're pretty much outdoing everyone in the class. In fact, you're probably doing better than Kei-"

"Alright, alright! I get it." Lance interrupted, flushing in embarrassment from the praise. She moved aside to let him pass. "Thanks Nyma."

"Make it quick and good luck." She gave him one last smile before ushering inside.

* * *

 

                                                                                          -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

 

 Five minutes later and Lance was frustrated. For some reason, none of the quests were interesting him. They also appeared to be simplistic, more errands than quests. Seriously, who wanted to walk miles in to a decaying wood to check if a stone statue was still standing? If the description of the woods were anything to go by then evidently the statue was long gone. There had to been _something_ in these piles that was vaguely interesting! Lance shoved all the quests back in their cupboard, sullen. After all this time, the quests turned out to be nothing. Those who were not chosen were not missing anything after all.

Lance made his way to the door when he noticed a cleft in the wall, concealed by the cupboard. Fascinated, Lance bent down and broke away more the wall. It crumbled easily in his fingers, like an off-colour chalk or large clumps of flour. Tucked away in a scrunched mess was a parchment. "Iverson! What dirty secrets are you keeping?" Lance joked to himself, chuckling. With the utmost care, Lance smoothened out the parchment, brushing away the bits of the wall and dust. Lance's jaw dropped as he read. This, he realised with a jolt of excitement, was some sort of quest.

Despite there being no open window, there was a fierce chill in the air. The same one from his vivid dream a night ago, Lance quickly recognised. He gathered the parchment and stuffed it in his sleeve, jittery with an eagerness to fulfil the quest. He opened the door to find an anxious Nyma.

"You were in there for a while. Did you find the one you wanted?" She asked, tapping her foot nervously.

Lance smirked, brimming with joy. "Definitely. By the way, the quests -"

"Good because Rolo just stopped by to let me know Iverson is coming to give me mine so I suggest you get a move on." Nyma interrupted, fretful of Iverson returning. Lance nodded and wished her well on her quest before hurrying to his dorm.

* * *

 

                                                                                           -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

 

The second Lance entered, Hunk knew his friend was up to something. He looked feverish with enthusiasm and was rushing to gather his stationary to write home before sitting in his bed. "Hey Lance." He said, hoping he came off casual and not suspicious.

"Hi." Lance said back, absent-minded. He was grinning widely. Hunk gulped, fully aware that this was the same smile Lance had whenever he devised some scheme to sneak out to the local village when he got bored.

"What are you up to?" Hunk asked boldly, deciding he had better be upfront with Lance if he wanted an honest answer. Lance was grinning to himself, back turned as he scribbled.

"Writing home, the usual. You?"

"Lance, I'm being serious." Hunk frowned, impatient. Lance whipped around, nearly spilling ink on his sheets for the second time in a week.

"Do you really want to know?" He whispered, tone now foreboding. Hunk swallowed his nerves and nodded. Lance sighed and urged Hunk to come closer. Hunk complied and was confused when Lance carefully slid a parchment from under his sleeve. It looked worse for wears, torn at some edges. "Alright, so I snuck in to Iverson's office-"

"You did what?!" Hunk shrieked, incredulous. Lance clamped his left hand over Hunk's mouth, silencing him.

"Shush! This is a secret. Anyway, I snuck in to Iverson's office and went through the quests to get one of my own as it was obvious Iverson was never going to give me one." Lance explained, slowing pulling his hand away and freeing Hunk's mouth. Hunk stared at Lance, gaping.

"Are you insane?!" He hissed, shocked. Lance shrugged and offered Hunk a half-smile.

"I was desperate, my man. The quests are absolutely a waste of time. Well, most of them." Lance gave Hunk a sly smirk and the latter's stomach lurched.

"Please tell me that this parchment isn't..." He trailed off, already knowing the answer.

"It's more of a secret quest Hunk! It was hidden behind the cupboard in a shaft in the wall." Lance said airily, waving off concern.

"Are you seriously going on this?"

"Yeah, I am. I come from a framing background where the rest of the kingdom never expects anything from me. It's a miracle I'm even here. I have to prove myself. I have to prove that it was all worth it. This quest seems so important that, maybe, just maybe, everyone else will take me seriously."  Lance was entirely sincere now,  face set hard in determination. Hunk was quiet, thinking deeply. Lance had a point. This quest, supposing it was a legitimate one, was be a brilliant way for Hunk to prove himself too. After all, he knew what it felt like to have a family looked down upon. Plus, he wanted to support his friend anyway he could.

"I want to come with you."

Lance looked sceptically at Hunk. "You want to join me?" Hunk felt agitated but steeled himself and nodded firmly.

"Yeah, I'm like you! I wanna prove myself as a capable knight. That and I think you could use a hand." He answered honestly. Hunk gave a sheepish grin in the hopes of swaying Lance. In return, Lance sighed deeply before offering his hand. Hunk looked confused before shaking it with his own.

"Alright Hunk. You can come." Lance replied, giving Hunk a smile. Hunk whooped for joy, crushing Lance in a tight hug.

"Thank you! I won't let you down, I swear!" Hunk gushed. They both laughed before beginning to plan how they would go about their quest, anticipating it.

* * *

 

                                                                                                      -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

The pair agreed to write home ahead of time and tell their families they were going on a quest. Then, they were going to pretend to be journeying home on the upcoming Friday before setting off. They were going to head in to the nearby village and attempt to find the remaining people in their quest. The parchment explicitly stated they were looking for three other people with extremely specific personalities. They hoped it would not be too difficult, given how small the village was. If they could not find who they were looking for they would move on to the next town.

"Wait, what about when we don't turn up on Monday?  Iverson will definitely notice! " Hunk fretted, remembering they both had training first thing. Lance gave a mischievous grin.

"I may or may not have gotten a fellow student to cover for us."

"Rolo?" Hunk guessed. He was the most logical answer, considering the pair did not really know anyone else besides each other and Rolo and Nyma.

"Yeah. I also wrote a separate letter to my older family members, begging them to also help us out."

"Lance!" Hunk tried to reprimand but he was quite impressed. His lip quirked in to a smirk.

"You might need to ask your family for help too." Hunk's face fell slightly but he gave a sigh of defeat.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"Of course! Besides, we're in this together." They smiled at each other and Hunk had a feeling the adventure had only just begun.

* * *

 

                                                                                        -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUNK IS HERE
> 
> Two down, three (or five depending on how you look at it) to go ;)


	4. First steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Hunk begin their quest and Hunk dreams of a strange dragon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY HELL I HAVEN'T WATCHED SEASON 5 YET BUT I'VE HEARD IT GETS INTENSE. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT!
> 
> Welcome back! This chapter took quicker than I expected. I've been really inspired to write the next few chapters of this lately. 
> 
> Here's chapter four!

There was an excited buzz around Lance and Hunk's dorm room for the rest of the week yet it still dragged by. The pair spent their time urging it to go faster. Finally, Thursday came and they could ensure they were prepared. The letters had been sent and their cover story had been crafted. Lance and Hunk's families were going to claim they saw the pair leave for the Garrison. When questioned, Rolo was going to convince Iverson that Lance and Hunk were model students (a hard feat but Rolo had a marvellous way with words in which he could get just about anyone to believe him). Rolo would ensure that Iverson thought they went missing on their way back. "It won't be easy but I'll do it because I like ya." He had told the pair and they were incredibly grateful. Their bags were packed lightly, to avoid suspicion. To deal with meals and inns, the pair also packed all of the money they had to hand and were even sent some by their families. It was not much but it would be enough if they used it sparingly. Besides, there would probably be more travelling on foot through woods so the pair were certain they would be alright. Now all they had to do was wait for Friday.

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Thursday morning and afternoon flew by and, before they knew it, Hunk and Lance were getting ready to go to bed. "I can't believe that this time tomorrow, we'll be travelling." Hunk exclaimed, giddy with excitement.

"Finally on our own quest!"  Lance replied with a similar amount of enthusiasm. He and Hunk were sat on the latter's bed as they looked over the quest parchment one last time before going to sleep.

"How long do you think it will take?"  Lance then asked, frowning in thought. Hunk shrugged.

"Probably a year or so." He replied before he gave it more thought and added "Maybe longer depending on how long it takes us to find the others and the princess."

Lance nodded and put away the parchment, oddly silent. Hunk looked at him in concern. He was about to ask when Lance perked up and gave him a wide grin. "We'd better turn in. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow." Lance moved to his own bed and bid Hunk a muffled goodnight. The lights went out and the pair drifted off. Lance slept peacefully but Hunk experienced a strange occurrence in his dream.

It began with Hunk being in what he could only presume as a cave, given how he could make out walls made of withering rock. He couldn't tell if he was alone as he felt a presence with him yet he could hardly see anyone else. All Hunk knew was that he was clambering down a cave where the air was thickly coated with dust and the walls becoming tighter as he descended. As he scraped past the walls, Hunk could feel engravings or fractures within them. If the circumstances been different, Hunk would probably be fascinated by them but he was currently more focused on travelling downwards to a space that made him feel less claustrophobic. 

Hunk soon found himself in an underground clearing with small shafts of lights beaming down upon him, relieved. A few metres away was the largest stone dragon (and possibly the only) Hunk had ever seen. Curious, he tentatively steps toward it, left palm outstretched to touch it. When his hand collides with the statue's surface, Hunk feels a cold breeze wrap itself around him, freezing him on the spot. Hunk found his entire body seized by an energising feeling he couldn't explain as his heart thundered in his chest. Hunk could have sworn he could hear a low growl; it's echo ricocheting off the walls. Sharp scales burst under his palm and whips of golden light exploded. Hunk, finding he could now move again, stumbled backwards in surprise and watched in wonder as the statue came to life. The scales changed from an unembellished grey to a vibrant gold, similar to the swirls of light around the statue only slightly darker. The statue flapped its wings, moving them stiffly as if it had just woken from a nap. Its talons scuffed the ground, leaving scratch marks in their wake. Its eyes sprung open.

Hunk had to turn away for a moment, eyes unable to take the intensity of the dragon's own eyes. Slowly, he looked again and was anxious by the fact the dragon was boring in to him with its mighty gaze. He swallowed his nerves and went to approach it again. The dragon seemed to be beckoning him closer. Looking in to its eyes, Hunk felt a tide of emotions hit him. Confusion that rapidly became acceptance. Protectiveness. Just as he got close enough, Hunk found himself being forced awake.

His eyes shot open and he took in shuddering gulps of air, as if he had been drowning. His mind felt fried with questions. What did that dream mean? Why had it felt so realistic? Hunk shook his head and cleared his memories of the dream. It didn't matter. It was just a dream after all. There were more important things at hand.

It was Friday at last.    

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 At breakfast, Iverson was glaring at Lance and Hunk with more vigour than usual, making them incredibly paranoid. "You don't think...?" Hunk trailed off, unable to finish his thought. If Iverson knew, they would both be toast, putting it politely. Lance shook his head firmly.

"No way. He would've made some example outta us. Just act like it's a normal Friday." He hissed back. Hunk nodded and turned to his meal, praying to whatever deity was watching over him that the day would go off without a hitch. Thankfully, it seemed Iverson was just in one of his moods - it was hard to tell though- and the pair were untroubled the rest of the day.

                                            -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

Lance was a bundle of excited jitters as he and Hunk left the Garrison, wearing matching grins of pure joy. "Holy crow, we're doing it!"

"I know! Where are we heading first? In the local village, I mean." Hunk queried, shifting his bag over his shoulder. Lance pondered for a moment before responding.

"Let's go to the inn first and hope we bump in to one of the others. Unlikely but it'd be nice." With that, the duo headed for the village in high spirits. They chatted idly to pass the time as the nearest inn was placed on the other side of the village, presumably for the travellers who just passed through. When they did arrive, the inn was surprisingly quiet and the owner was extremely welcoming. She looked to be middle-aged with light brown hair that was beginning to age. "Hello there!  I'm Colleen, what can I do for you two?" She greeted, smiling warmly.

"We were hoping to rent a room for the night? Single beds, please." Lance flashed the owner a wide smile. Colleen laughed softly and took her payment. Her rings, which the pair only just noticed, grazed against the counter, leaving small dents in the wood.

"I suppose you're quite the charmer, huh?" She joked, grabbing a key from a rack.  

Lance smirked. "I try."

Hunk gave a shyer smile back as the inn owner then slid the pair their room key. "Alright, room 7 upstairs, last one on your left." Hunk noted she sounded slightly sad and was about to ask if she was alright when Lance cut in.

"Thank you! Would it be too much trouble to have a meal tonight as well?"

"Not at all. Dinner is starts in an hour and finishes at 9pm. I hope you enjoy your stay." The pair gave a wave to Colleen before heading off to their room.

                                                -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

When they were out of her earshot, Lance turned to Hunk and asked "Did you pick up on her being kind of sad back there? Like she was glad to see us but she was upset over something we said or did?"

Hunk looked relieved. "Yeah, I did. Maybe her kids are all grown up and she misses them?" Lance's face scrunched up in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you saw her engagement and wedding rings, right? She could have kids that have grown up, left home." Hunk guessed, shrugging. Lance gave a hum of agreement.

"I guess. Do you think we'll find someone here? I think it's too quiet for them in all honesty..."

"They might want that. Some people prefer a solitary life." Hunk stated a matter-of-factly. Lance snorted and muttered something that vaguely sounded like "Mullet" under his breath but Hunk chose not to ask. They needed to focus on finding the others needed for their quest. "It wouldn't hurt to ask. That's what we were planning on doing anyway."

"Something tells me randomly asking people to join our quest isn't going to work." Lance gripped, crossing his arms.

"We'll just ask if they know any specific people. We don't have to tell them about the quest. Make it seem like we're old friends with this person if they get too defensive about information." Hunk offered, smiling slightly.

"Hunk! That's a great idea. We can ask Colleen at dinner first and go from there."

The pair decided to think up of questions  to ask Colleen while they waited for the hour before dinner to pass. Somewhere, it evolved in to questions about each other and they were soon laughing at each other's embarrassing stories or family antics. Needless to say, the hour flew by.

                                                   -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

Dinner started with a fawn-coloured dog nearly bowling the duo over in its eagerness to enter the room. "Bae Bae!" Colleen reprimanded the dog firmly, hands on her hips and a disapproving look on her face. She apologised for her dog's behaviour but Lance and Hunk insisted they were fine. "Come up and order when you're ready!" She then called, leading Bae Bae out the back.

The inn was slightly busier now but still far too hushed for Lance's likening. The candles that lit up the place were burning brilliantly, giving a warm, inviting atmosphere. It was pleasant but it was distracting the pair from their quest. Again. Lance decided they should order their meals right away, not that Hunk minded. As they ordered, they both caught sight of a picture hanging on the wall behind Colleen. It was her and three other people : her family. Colleen caught them looking and sighed. "That's my husband, myself and our kids. You know, you remind me of my son." She said, directing her attention to Lance.

"What's he like?" Lance asked innocently. Colleen looked apprehensive for a moment before replying.

"From what I can tell, you're a sweet boy who jokes around a lot but deeply cares for others. That was my Matt..."

"What about your daughter?" Hunk asked, hoping to cheer Colleen up after their conversation began to grow sombre.

"Katie was a smart girl with a knack for exploring. After Matt and his father left for their quest, they didn't come back. She insisted on going after them." Both Hunk and Lance were stuck in a stunned silence as Colleen described her situation in a small voice. It was then Colleen looked as if she was going to cry so Lance swiftly began to console her.

"Well, I'm sure you'll see them all soon." He said soothingly.

"Yeah, I'm sure Katie will find your son and husband. You just have to wait a little while." Hunk added, hoping he helped comfort her.

"I hope so. Thank you, both of you."

                                                                       -----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT-----OUAT----

After a wonderful meal and a much more light-hearted conversation with Colleen, Lance and Hunk returned to their room. "Do you think that, after we're done with this quest, we should help find Colleen's family?" Hunk asked out of the blue. Lance was caught off-guard but answered in a hurry.

"Of course! Provided Katie doesn't already."

"I really hope that Colleen sees her family again." Hunk murmured as he began to fall asleep.

"Me too Hunk." Lance did not fall asleep too easily. Instead, his mind brought up thoughts of his family. Were they going to miss him as much as Colleen missed her son? Would they grow concerned if he took too long on his quest? Would they assume he had failed because of his lack of contact?  What about Hunk's family? Lance sincerely hoped their families would be alright with them being gone for so long.

Lance hoped he would be alright without his family for so long. After all, they were the most important part of his life and he knew it killed him slightly to know he would not see them for a year or longer. Lance then begged that the quest would be over quickly so he could see them again. Otherwise, how would he cope?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I like writing 'shrugging' or 'shrugged' XD Anyway, the pair are going to meet Pidge at some point. Probably in a chapter or so, I haven't decided when exactly yet. 
> 
> Fun fact: I had to research what Colleen's dog was called. If you don't know who Colleen is, she's the mother of one of the five. A certain green paladin's...  
> Thanks for reading! Feel free to suggest some things to include as a lot of the details of this story are still being worked out and ideas towards them would be greatly appreciated. :)  
> (Also guess what time I wrote this XD Really early so if there's any mistakes please point them out!)


End file.
